sdz-psc-833 and Blast-Crisis

P-glycoprotein (pgp), which is the product of the MDR1 (multidrug resistance-1) gene, has an established role as a mediator of cytotoxic drug resistance in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). To study the role of pgp in mediating apoptosis resistance in AML cells deprived of serum and growth factors, apoptosis was quantified by flow cytometry using uptake of the dye 7-amino-actinomycin D (7-AAD) alongside low forward scatter. In pgp+ve primary AML samples, there was a significant increase in apoptosis in the presence of the pgp-specific antibody UIC2 (mean increase: 58%; range: 11%-95%; P <. 05). Likewise, apoptosis in growth factor-deprived TF1 cells cultured for 30 hours increased 2.5-fold in the presence of 25 microg/mL UIC2. The pgp reversal agent PSC-833 (1 micromol/L) augmented in vitro apoptosis by a median of 52% in pgp+ve patient samples and to a comparable degree in 6 pgp-ve samples. To determine whether the sphingomyelin-ceramide (SM-ceramide) pathway of apoptosis occurs in AML blasts in response to cytotoxic drugs, cells were incubated with daunorubicin at the patient-specific IC(30) (the concentration of daunorubicin that caused apoptotic cell death in 30% of cells) in the presence of the ceramide synthase inhibitor fumonisin B1, which inhibited apoptosis by 18%-81% (median: 40%). Exogenous SM failed to augment apoptosis induced by growth factor withdrawal in pgp+ve TF1 cells and was significantly more effective at augmenting apoptosis in pgp-ve patient blasts (median increase in cell death: 33%; range: 19%-88%) than in pgp+ve samples (median: 7%; range: 0%-27%; P =.028). Cellular accumulation of exogenous SM was associated with apoptosis and also occurred in nonapoptotic patient cells treated with PSC-833. However, this effect was not seen following treatment with the UIC2 antibody. These results indicate that pgp is able to exert a protective effect on AML cell viability and that this is associated with a reduced effect of exogenous SM on apoptosis. The pgp reversal agent PSC-833 acts, at least in part, by a pgp independent mechanism to alter SM distribution and to augment apoptosis induced in AML cells by serum and growth factor withdrawal. (Blood. 2000;95:2897-2904)

Topics: Apoptosis; ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1; Biological Transport; Blast Crisis; Cell Survival; Ceramides; Cyclosporins; Dactinomycin; Flow Cytometry; Fluorescent Dyes; Genes, MDR; Growth Substances; Humans; Kinetics; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Signal Transduction; Sphingomyelins; Tumor Cells, Cultured; U937 Cells

In order to bring MDR analysis into a clinical setting, reproducible assays with clear cut off points to define MDR positivity must be used. Sensitivity can also be increased by combining the results of more than one assay. We have used a combination of flow cytometric assays to define MDR positive and negative blasts in 47 AML patients entered into MRC trials. Our primary test is a standardised and reproducible assay for anthracycline accumulation in which we use carboxylate microspheres to bind the fluorescent drug daunorubicin (dnr). Cells and beads are incubated concurrently with dnr. Cellular dnr accumulation is quantified as a cell:bead fluorescence ratio. Confirmatory assays for MDR comprise the cyclosporin modulation assay for rhodamine 123 uptake and also measurement of lung resistance protein and multidrug resistance associated protein (with LRP-56 and MRPr1 respectively). 27/47 (57%) samples had both low and accumulation and at least one positive confirmatory test (a modulated functional assay and/or protein overexpression) and were categorised as "confirmed MDR". 15/47 patients (32%) were MDR negative in all 4 assays. 5/47 (11%) patients had unconfirmed low dnr accumulation. None of the patients in this cohort had high dnr accumulation alongside overexpressed LRP or MRP or functional P-glycoprotein. We believe that this approach to MDR analysis enhances the value of the highly reproducible functional assays. The use of a primary and confirmatory tests is also likely to improve specificity.

Topics: ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; Blast Crisis; Bone Marrow Cells; Cyclosporine; Cyclosporins; Daunorubicin; Drug Resistance, Multiple; Flow Cytometry; Genes, MDR; Humans; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins; Reproducibility of Results